Milk-bottle safe.



J. A. GURGHKE.

MILK BOTTLE SAFE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 16, 1911.

1,060,081. Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

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ti a)" JOHN A. GURGHKE, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MILK-BOTTLE SAFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 16, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. GURoHKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county. of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk-Bottle Safes; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to receptacles espe cially designed for receivingmilk and cream bottles but adaptable for receiving other commodities,and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means forsecurely retaining milk bottles and other commodities which areperiodically left at the house and are usually delivered on the backporch, the arrangement being such as to insure safety and cleanliness,and prevent the surreptitious removal of any article after bemg placedin the receptacle.

The above object is attained by the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical sectionthrough a receptacle embodying my invention.- Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe spring locking ring employed to detachably lock the top or cover tothe base of the receptacle. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said ring.Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the base.Fig. 6 is a plan view of the top or cover.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the base which ismade circular in form and preferably of cast metal, being provided witha plurality of feet 2 having apertures 3 (see Fig. 1) through whichscrews may be passed to secure the base in place, as shown in Fig. 1.Upon opposite margins of the vertical flange of the base are formed ears4 having slots 5 therethrough which form keepers for the catches of thelock, as hereinafter explained. The top or cover 6 is preferably conicalin form, and the bottom edge thereof is rolled inwardly, as shown at 7,to strengthen the cover and at the same time afford a circular bead orshoulder to be engaged by the catches of the lock.

Lying within the circular base, and conforming to the contour thereof,is an open ring 8 formed of suitable spring metal. Projecting outwardlyfrom opposite faces of said ring are the catches 9 which are beveled ontheir upper faces. The ring 7 is so disposed within the base that thecatches thereof will lie in and project through the slots or keepers 5in the ears 4 of the base. To place the cover upon the base it ispressed downwardly thereover with suflicient force to cause the ring tospring inwardly and allow the roll 7 at the lower margin of the cover topass the catches 9, when the ring will spring outwardly and project saidcatches over the rolledmargin of the cover in a manner to lock the coverto the base, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

To enable the cover to be removed after being locked in position uponthe base, a key in the form of a thumb screw 10 is employed which isadapted to be screwed into a tapped boss 11 formed upon and project ingfrom the base, said screw passing through said boss and engaging thering 8. It will be noted on referring to Fig. 1 that the inner end ofthe screw 10 is reduced as shown at 12, and that there is formed in thering 8, in alinement with the aperture through the boss 11, an opening13 (see Fig. 3) into which the reduced end of the screw may enter. Thediameter of said opening 13, however, is less than the diameter of thescrew through the threads thereof, whereby, as said screw by rotationthereof is screwed through the threaded boss its reduced end 12 willfirst enter the opening 13 in the locking ring, and then by furtherrotation of the screw the threaded portion thereof will engage themargin of said opening in said ring and spring the ring inwardly so asto retract the catch 9 on the side of said ring adjacent said screwsufficiently to carry it from engagement with the rolled margin 7 of thetop, when said top may be tilted backwardly and then lifted from thebase.

The screw key 10 will never be left in the base but will always be inpossession of the person who has lawful access to the receptacle. Byreason of the fact that the locking ring 8 has an aperture therein inalinement with the opening of the boss 11, and nearly of the samediameter, the unlocking of the receptacle by the insertion of a nail orother instrument through the boss 11 is rendered impossible, or at leastexceedingly difficult. By making the threads of the screws or keys ofdifferent trend it will not be possible to unlock one receptacle by thekey of another.

In using this device the milk bottle, or other commodity which is to bedelivered, is placed upon the base within the marginal flange thereof,and the cover which is normally removed from the base is placed inposition thereon by forcing it downwardly over the spring catches 9,when said cover becomes automatically locked to the base and cannot beremoved to expose the contents of the receptacle until said receptacleis unlocked by a proper key. By this arrangement milk or othercommodities may be delivered with perfect security athours when no oneis present toreceive them, and

at the same time the articles, as inthe case of milk bottles, areprotected from flies and prowling animals. When the cover is locked inposition on the base it is supported by the projecting lugs 14: of saidbase formed thereon.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A receptacle comprising a circular base having a surrounding verticalflange, a spring ring within the base concentric with and lying againstsaid flange, said ring having a beveled catch which projects freelythrough an opening in said base flange, a cover adapted to fit over theflange of the a base having a continuous inwardly extending marginalport-ion adapted to cooperate with said catch to lock the cover and basetogether, and means movable through the flange of the base forretracting said spring ring to withdraw said catch from engage ment withsaid marginal portion of the cover.

2. A receptacle comprising a base having a surrounding vertical flange,a spring member within the base having a beveled catch which projectsthrough the flange thereof, a cover adapted to fitover the flange of thebase having a continuous marginal projection adapted to cooperate withsaid catch to lock the cover and base together, and means for retractingthe spring member to withdraw said catch through the flange of the basefrom the marginal projection of the cover.

3. A receptacle comprising a base, having marginal slotted ears, an openspring ring lying within the base and having catches that projectthrough the slotted ends of the base, a cover adapted to embrace thewall of the base. and having a marginal projection which cooperates withsaid catches to lock the cover to the base, and a threaded key threadedthrough the wall of the base and adapted to actuate the spring ring toretract a locking catch thereon and release the cover.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN A. GURCHKE.

l/Vitnesses:

J. O'r'ro BAENZIGER, M. E. BROESAMLE.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained; for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patentl, Washington, D G.

